Ag production sets new record in California

September 6, 2013, 8:19PM

09/06/2013

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the state's 80,500 farms and ranches had revenues in 2012 of $44.7 billion, a 3 percent increase from the previous year and a new record.

The highest revenue gain was seen in pistachios, which increased in value by 27 percent.

California remains the nation's largest agricultural state in terms of revenues, representing 11.3 percent of the U.S. total. It's followed by Iowa and Nebraska.

California is also the number one dairy state in the nation. It produced a fifth of the country's milk supply last year, though revenues slipped due to a drop in the number of herds and sliding milk prices.